I recently picked up and reviewed, for a second time, a survey of companies operating in Western Europe, carried out by Capgemini and the Economist Intelligence Unit. In it, 86 per cent of respondents agreed that “business transformation has become a central way of working”. However, the percentage who believed business transformation was something their company excels at was only 30 per cent. That research was carried out in 2007 and I was left wondering whether things had improved. I suspect not. (more…)
While not all mid-sized organisations will have a dedicated procurement function or a c-level purchasing professional, the transition to a large enterprise is likely to be the time when this becomes the case for many. Where procurement may have once been a subset of finance it will be a separately directed and managed team. (more…)
‘Newism’ – the subject of trendwatching.com’s July briefing – is the latest buzzword to describe why more than ever, consumers lust after the new. They say: “Newism is creative destruction, hyper-competition globalism, consumerism on steroids and a celebration of innovation, all in one. For brands, new and established, it boils down to capturing and holding consumers’ attention.” (more…)
Tucked away in Tuesday’s publication by Francis Maude MP of the latest Civil Service Reform Plan was an apparently innocuous proposal in chapter two about improving the quality of policymaking. The government is planning to spend £1 million in a three-year pilot starting next month on “contestable” policymaking, whereby ministers can “commission external policy development (for example, by academics and think-tanks)”. (more…)
Accurately forecasting the peaks and troughs of supply and demand in business is difficult at the best of times. In the current volatile economic climate, many are finding it almost impossible. For instance, in the latest survey by the institute of directors, 38.5 per cent of businesses believe that the UK is at ‘high or very high’ risk of slipping back into recession, while the latest figures from the manufacturing sector show stronger than predicted growth. (more…)
I’ve had two reminders this week about the nature of distractions. The first was The Thick of It and Mock the Week comic Chris Addison revealing how he installed a software programme to prevent him from using Twitter while he was writing material for his most recent stand-up routine. (more…)
No new year’s resolutions for me again this year. How can you improve the unimprovable? I’m joking of course, but there is a more serious point here. As we all know, those seemingly earnest commitments we make in the first week of January do tend to unravel by… well, by the third week of January. (more…)
Procurement leaders are increasingly asked to extract more value in light of unprecedented economic conditions. It is understood that pure sourcing alone does not optimise value and many organisations have pushed the boundaries of what is considered traditional purchasing. (more…)
Procurement has to fight very hard to get a seat at the table in many organisations so it is demotivating to see our own behaviour drive us further away from our business. So what should we avoid doing to make sure we don’t ruin our chances? (more…)
I don’t know about you, but whenever a new and exciting opportunity comes my way, I am awash with anxiety. I feel excited and nervous – then the fear factor strikes.
In 2011, I made the leap from the comfort of an industry I had spent my whole procurement career in to new and unchartered (by me) grounds. (more…)
I recently picked up and reviewed, for a second time, a survey of companies operating in Western Europe, carried out by Capgemini and the Economist Intelligence Unit. In it, 86 per cent of respondents agreed that “business transformation has become a central way of working”. However, the percentage who believed business transformation was something their company excels at was only 30 per cent. That research was carried out in 2007 and I was left wondering whether things had improved. I suspect not. (more…)![[Bloglines]](http://blog.supplymanagement.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/bloglines.png)
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